Breathe Again

04: Gosh The Anticipation

"Love you too babe," Liam says.

Isaac scowls, then smiles, sharing a glance with Liam who looks away first.

"So what time do we need to be at the church?"

"Three."

"And how far away is it?"

"Like a ten minute walk from the hotel."

"Maybe we should go and start getting ready."

Liam looks down despondently at his half eaten burger and comes to the same conclusion that Isaac has reached, that the two of them are never going to finish their meals.

"Okay."

The closer the wedding draws the more impossible it becomes for Liam to ignore it. When he was at home it was just a strange dream, a chance to finally throw the past twelve years back in his father's face, to remind his father that he missed out on a son just as much as Liam missed out on a father. When he was in the car it was just a drunken idea, there were a lot of 'why not's and 'might as well's running through his mind. But now he's here, just under two hours away from the wedding and he's not sure what he's doing anymore.

Liam's memories of his father are hazy at best, and largely involved fights with his mother. He remembers father-son dates to the football – so they didn't have to talk – and eyes the same startling bright green as his own. He remembers the day his father left, and his mother promising he'd be back tomorrow. Repeat for the next month until Liam stopped asking and his mother stopped making excuses.

What are you supposed to even say?

Hey, I don't know if you remember me. I'm the son you left behind twelve years ago. Just thought I'd pop in and say hi, it was a lovely ceremony, better hope you mean those vows more than you did when you said them to mum hey!

Liam has no idea why he's going. Part of him is angry, wants to ruin the wedding, wants to deprive his dad of the perfect life that he never allowed Liam. But part of him is hoping that maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of reparations. That his father will see he's being the bigger man. That they can become father and son all over again.

Deep down Liam knows he's going to hurt, he's just hoping that Isaac will be here to save him.

Isaac tries to force conversation but Liam responds in monosyllables. Isaac, like all of the English, is forced into commenting about the weather. The sun has appeared for the first time in what feels like centuries and Isaac can't help marvel about it.

"It's going to be a good summer Liam, I can feel it," he says, "I mean the sun is coming out, what more could you want?"

"A million dollars and a puppy?"

"God, some people are just never satisfied."

"In the words of Alexander Hamilton, I will never be satisfied."

"I swear all you do is quote musicals at me."

"Why, Isaac, you say that like it's a bad thing."

Isaac leaves Liam to it, wandering down to reception to ask about booking the room for another night – he figures that if all goes well he and Liam are going to need a place to stay – while Liam gets changed.

He returns ten minutes later and is unsurprised to find Liam sat on the bed fully dressed, except for the tie which hangs loose around his neck.

"I tried to do it, but it just didn't look as good as when you do it."

"Yeah sure, no problem."

"You can get dressed first if you want."

Isaac picks his suit up from where he threw it over a chair last night and carries them towards the bathroom.